Very easy to use. Very easy to keep clean. Good visual access to see what is happening with the beans.
Negative Product Points
Small capacity. Poor cooling. Poor construction: cracks in chaff collector, fragile.
Detailed Commentary
I have been using the SR500 for more than 18 months now. I am surprised it has lasted this long. My +8 before it only lasted 9 months. After the +8 experience, I would not have purchased another FreshRoast but a friend bought this for me. I found both machines to be fragile, but the SR500 is certainly an improvement over the +8. This is an ideal starting machine for aspiring home roasters. It is very simple to use and can produce good results all over the roasting range. You have excellent visibility to the beans during the roast. Cleaning it is a snap. Due to the small capacity, I have often done back-to-back (serial) roasts. This is very time consuming. I need a larger roaster. You have to compensate for the poor cooling cycle by stopping the roast slightly ahead as it will keep on roasting.
